Travelling horses. I was surprised by the musts

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stacey_lou

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Apparantly according to a friend whos friend has just done a course in HGV for horse travel if you are pulled over whilsts travelling your horses and they do not have on a tail bangage / guard or travel boots / bangages you can be fined.

I didnt know this I always thought this was as per preference, to be fair on the way to and from I would go in bandages but never a tail banage she only gets it off when getting in a tizz about loading and it comes off and gets in the way.

I have friends also who on the way back from a show say sod it to to the lot and travel home without.
 
I think your friend is slightly misinformed.
I would love to see her get boots on some of the unhandled ponies at native sales around the country. Would make entertaining viewing!
 
I know that when I've used a professional licensed transporter they've always asked for at least a tail bandage and quoted regulations as the reason...never mentioned boots though. (my horses travel naked :) )
 
If this were true than most of the racing industry would be fined every time they travelled horses - there is rarely a tail bandage, let alone leg bandages or travelling boots, to be seen when going to the races.
 
Have asked several horse transporters what they travel horses in and the answer is nothing, so hardly a legal requirement. I'm surprised the number of horses that are still booted, bandaged and wrapped in cotton wool for travelling.
 
A horse from my yard when to horsepital today in the veterinary practice's own lorry. She travelled without any tail or leg bandages either way and nothing was said which I am sure it would have been if it really was a legal requirement.
 
A yorkshire travel company bring and collect horses here regularly and never put on boots or tail bandages and I know that they have done the compulsory handlers course for drivers as we were talking about it one day so its unlikely that there is any rule about it. Over here I've never heard of the police asking to see horse passports let alone looking to see if the horses have boots and bandages and I would say that 95% of mares here travel to studs naked!
 
I agree that your friend may have be a little misinformed. The regulations cover travelling times, driver's hours and obligatory paperwork etc but not travel protection. Many long-haul operators are now unable to travel the horses with haynets due to insurance restrictions but many horses travel internationally with no tail or leg bandages.
 
I have regularly travelled ponies with Eric Gillie. No bandages please, no boots, no rugs, and a tail protector OK. Nowt else.
Eric Gillie is by Royal Appt to HM Queen. I think he probably helped write regs for travelling horses!
 
When my horses were transported (in the past and recently) by international transporters they wore tail guards only - and I dont think that had anything to do with regulations. There is certainly no law about the wearing of boots or travelling bandages.
 
dont shoot the messenger, just what I was told and to be honest I thought the same as most people have said espically with some friends who have big cobs and dont bother or just dont see the point.
 
TBB said:
A yorkshire travel company bring and collect horses here regularly and never put on boots or tail bandages and I know that they have done the compulsory handlers course for drivers as we were talking about it one day so its unlikely that there is any rule about it. Over here I've never heard of the police asking to see horse passports let alone looking to see if the horses have boots and bandages and I would say that 95% of mares here travel to studs naked!
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If I were travelling to stud to meet my stallion I would expect to be naked too!!
 
i choose to use nothing, 1, boots ect all they do is cook legs, and make things worse in the event of an accident,i dont suppose many folk will have seen a horse with a partition pole stuck down a boot,with horse flailing about, when if it had of been naked he would have just stood there, i also know of a horse that lost his tail , i dont know the ins and outs but the owner will not have put it on too tight,
 
Foxhunter49 said:
If this were true than most of the racing industry would be fined every time they travelled horses - there is rarely a tail bandage, let alone leg bandages or travelling boots, to be seen when going to the races.
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My thoughts exactly, I don't think my mare has worn boots before in her life!
 
"Equestrian Type" would that not be a bit draughty in Jan/feb? Would love to hear your explanation to the police if you were stopped on the journey at a routine police checkpoint. :eek::D
 
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